This invention relates to apparatus for controlling the boundary layer of air moving adjacent to a wing as an aircraft moves through the air.
Apparatus for controlling the boundary layer on an aircraft wing are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,193, to Runnels, which describes an apparatus wherein a leading edge flap is used for directing a stream of air across a wing surface. This apparatus is used during low speed operation, when the leading edge flap is extended. Other patents showing leading edge flaps for controlling a boundary layer include U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,691 to Swanson, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,482 to Lewis. An early patent, U.S. Pat. No. 1,887,148 to Ganahl, described an airplane propulsion apparatus which included apparatus for injecting a stream of air across the top of a wing surface.
The present invention overcomes a number of problems associated with conventional boundary layer control systems. Namely, the known systems only operate effectively at low aircraft speeds. No apparatus is known which effectively controls boundary layer growth at all aircraft speeds.